Hello, everyone. This is Gon Freecss, relieved that we've successfully identified the abilities of the Phantom Troupe. Our net is steadily closing around them, but things are going so smoothly that it's actually starting to make me a little anxious.
After confirming that Machi had left Heavens Arena without issue, Gon and his companions gathered in Hisoka's room for what was ostensibly a strategy meeting.
"Man, I can't relax in this room. Even if most of this stuff is of Gon, having your own posters up is just embarrassing."
"I figured people were taking pictures, but I never thought some weirdo was making merch like this."
Leorio and Killua were completely put off by the posters and plushies crammed into the room, while Hisoka began to show off his collection like a child bragging about his toys.
"That poster of you, Leorio, is a collector's item now, worth about 500,000 Jenny. ♣ The most expensive thing in this room is probably the photo of Kurapika's smile from the 100th floor. That's worth 5 million. ♠ Personally, I prefer Gon's smile from the Kastro fight, but too many of those are in circulation for it to become a premium item. ♥ Killua's winking card is also quite popular, easily worth over a million. This room is a treasure trove! ♥ And there's also this..."
"Alright, we've extracted the information from Machi and now know the abilities of all the Spiders. Let's use this to re-evaluate their threat levels and our priorities," Kurapika interjected, ignoring Hisoka's rambling.
The group began to deepen their understanding of the Troupe members with the new information. They cross-referenced the personalities and fighting styles Hisoka had previously described with the abilities they had just learned, planning countermeasures for potential combat and intelligence-gathering scenarios.
"Still, we were pretty lucky we managed to get your chain on Machi. Finding out everyone's Hatsu is a huge deal."
"It really is," Gon replied to Killua with a serious expression. "Learning the abilities of Phinks and Feitan, in particular, was massive. If they'd suddenly activated them without us knowing, we could have been wiped out."
Gon was referring to two abilities: Ripper Cyclotron and Pain Packer.
"Hmm? They don't seem that tough. Can't Gon just one-shot both of them?" Leorio asked.
"By that logic, Leorio, Gon could one-shot the entire Troupe. However, since all the Spiders are gathering in Yorknew City, we're bound to face them as a group at some point," Kurapika explained.
"It depends on how much power that Phinks guy can build up," Killua added. "If he's willing to die, even Gon might not be able to withstand it. And as for Feitan, if he uses his ability at the end of a fight when we're all exhausted, we could be taken out in one fell swoop."
As Kurapika and Killua explained, Leorio gave a wry smile, realizing he had only been thinking in terms of one-on-one fights.
"Ah, Chairman Netero just taught me about team battles and I already forgot. Maybe we should leave Heavens Arena before we head to Yorknew?"
"The plan is to go to my home on Whale Island around July for some rest and training. We'll focus on coordinating our teamwork there..."
As Gon was about to continue, a pale white hand rested on his shoulder.
"Chairman Netero? He taught you? Were you playing? With someone other than me? ♠"
Hisoka, who had been smiling and showing off his merchandise while the others talked, now stood behind Gon with a dreadfully sorrowful smile on his face. The air in the room grew tense, and in the suffocating silence, the sound of Leorio swallowing his saliva echoed unnaturally loudly.
"Yeah! It was about two weeks ago, I think. We trained for just one day. I thought about inviting you, Hisoka, but your memory was still sealed, and it was Shingen-ryu related, so I didn't call. It was a lot of fun, and I got a lot stronger!"
Gon's dazzlingly bright smile instantly broke the tension.
"...♥ I'm glad to hear that. What sort of games did you play? ♦"
The conversation shifted to Gon describing his training with Netero, and the discussion about the Phantom Troupe lost its momentum. Hisoka never once asked about the "prison" Gon had mentioned, but he listened intently to the details about the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva, his smile deepening.
"Mmm... ♥ The more I hear, the more I want to know what you did, Gon. ♥ Chairman Netero's Hatsu, the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva... how utterly fascinating. ♠"
"From your perspective, Hisoka, how would you counter it?" Leorio asked. "Having seen it myself, I think it'd be incredibly difficult."
"Let's see. I can't say for sure without seeing it myself, of course. ♣ But I have a feeling I could probably manage it with an application of my new Panic Card. ♥"
Hisoka's confident and natural tone as he spoke, even while just hearing about the ability, was a testament to his strength and pride as a fighter.
"Impressive. We can't even find a starting point for a strategy against it," Kurapika admitted.
"Well, my Panic Card is an ability I designed to fight you head-on, Gon. ♥ It's only natural that I'd have a chance against another physically-oriented style. ♥"
"Whoa, if you're that confident, Hisoka, maybe you really could win. I know it's true, but man, I've still got a long way to go."
Killua, the only one of the three beginners who aimed to reach Gon's level of strength, looked slightly dejected, as if the gap between them had just been made clear once again. Despite his prodigious talent, growing at a terrifying pace under Wing's tutelage and already beginning to master applications of his own ability, he still couldn't fathom how far ahead Gon truly was.
"It seems you'll all be at Heavens Arena for about three more months. ♠ Gon, how about we schedule our match for the very last day of your fight eligibility? ♦ Let's show each other the culmination of everything we've learned since the exam. ♥"
"Yeah, there's no one else here I really want to fight, so that sounds good. Are you sure you don't want me to teach you my techniques?"
"Of course. ♥ I'll accept anything you throw at me, Gon. ♥ In return, you'd better be ready to accept everything I have to give. ♠"
"Okay! Just don't lose in some pathetic way this time."
Though their match was still a ways off, their fighting spirit flared. Leorio, however, cut in with a troubled expression.
"Sorry to interrupt while you're all fired up, but at least try not to destroy Heavens Arena, okay? I'm serious, thousands of people could die. This is not a joke."
"...We'll do our best. ♠" they replied in unison.
And so, with a lingering sense of unease, the day's meeting came to an end.
For the three months following their encounter with Machi, Gon and the others would spend their days in a relentless cycle of sparring and mental training under Wing's guidance.
Gon, having already fought Gordon and Kastro—the most skilled fighters in Heavens Arena—saw little point in official matches and focused on raising his fundamental stats alongside Gin.
Killua, Leorio, and Kurapika scheduled two matches a month to get used to fighting other Nen users, gaining practical experience while honing their own abilities through sparring and training in their respective Nen categories.
Inspired by his training with Gon's group, Zushi, though he hadn't developed his Hatsu yet, managed to reach the 200th floor, where he coincidentally received his baptism by fire from Leorio.
For the most part, the training was simple and repetitive, but everyone besides Gon and Gin was in a period of rapid growth, their motivation fueled by the daily realisation of their progress.
Heavens Arena was booming. The constant matches from Killua and his friends, combined with the buzz around the new Floor Masters—Gordon, Kastro, and Gon—created a lively atmosphere. This, in turn, sparked a change in the fighters' mindsets; more and more began to focus on their own improvement rather than simply trying to crush their opponents, creating an environment that Gordon found particularly favorable.
Amidst the heated excitement of Heavens Arena, a rumor of a certain match began to circulate.
"King Muscle" Gon vs. "The Grim Reaper" Hisoka
Neither fighter had registered for a match since their respective fights with Kastro, yet they were frequently sighted within the arena.
Then, a piece of information—whether from a staff member or another fighter—began to spread: a match between the two had been scheduled for July.
With no official announcement from Heavens Arena or the fighters themselves, there was no overt promotion. Yet, tickets for July and reservations for nearby hotels were already fetching premium prices.
The sense of an impending battle of the century, a fight that had even ticket scalpers scrambling to secure a seat for themselves, was already a molten core of magma beneath the heated atmosphere, waiting for the moment to erupt.
In a former villa area not far from a tourist destination, numerous abandoned buildings stood in disarray. The once-bustling area had been forced into decline when a sudden overgrowth of highly toxic plants took root. In one of these many ruins lay a hideout known to only a few members of the Phantom Troupe.
"Oh, welcome back, Machi. Were you able to tell Hisoka about the change of plans?"
The one who greeted Machi upon her return was Pakunoda, a tall, stylish, and cool-headed beauty.
"...Please, don't talk about that damn clown for a while."
"My, my. The Boss is in his usual room. Let's have a drink after you're done."
Sensing various things from Machi's foul mood, Pakunoda told her where the Boss was and quickly retreated deeper into the hideout. Machi proceeded down a dim corridor—fitting for the hideout of a criminal organization—and arrived at the room where Chrollo Lucilfer, the leader of the Phantom Troupe, stored the books he collected as a hobby.
"Chrollo, there's something I need to report about Hisoka. Is now a good time?"
When Chrollo had nothing in particular he wanted to steal, he often spent his time reading in this room. To avoid being disturbed, only Machi, Pakunoda, and the information specialist, Shalnark, knew of this location. Surrounded by a collection of rare books that would make an expert faint, a handsome, dark-haired man—one of the strongest fighters, by Hisoka's own admission—looked up from his book. It was Chrollo.
"Thank you for the errand, Machi. So? Did you sense something from Hisoka?"
"Honestly, he was his usual self, for the most part. But I have a bad feeling."
Since she had no proof and only a nagging suspicion, Machi seemed slightly awkward as she reported Hisoka's words and actions at Heavens Arena. Chrollo listened silently until she finished, then lowered his head in thought for a moment before looking back at her.
"So, in your opinion, Hisoka won't make a move in Yorknew? But you can't shake this bad feeling."
"Yeah, that's about right. He's crazy, but he's not an idiot. He wouldn't do something reckless when the entire Troupe is gathered. Plus, he even revealed a new Hatsu that's almost impossible to counter on a first encounter. Maybe this bad feeling is more about Yorknew than Hisoka himself."
After hearing Hisoka's actions and Machi's opinion, Chrollo organized his thoughts and casually began to make a call on his phone.
"Hey there. A job?"
"I have something I need you to do around September 1st. Are you free?"
"Too bad, already booked. Should I pass it on to someone else in the family?"
"No, if you can't take it, I don't need it for now. The job is in Yorknew City, and it's not a hit. But could we at least discuss the details and payment?"
"...Hmm. Come to the capital of Kakin in a week. I'll hear you out then."
"Understood. I'll contact you when I arrive."
From the conversation, Machi realized Chrollo was making a move against Hisoka, and she wondered why his conclusion was the opposite of hers. Sensing her thoughts, Chrollo ended the call, turned to Machi, and explained his reasoning.
"First of all, your intuition is too accurate to ignore. Even if you're wrong this time, it will only be a slight waste of money."
He stated the first reason in a half-joking tone, then rested his chin on his clasped hands, his expression turning serious.
"The problem, Machi, is that you judged that Hisoka wouldn't make a move. He hinted that he would, and even gave away information on a new Hatsu. It's as if he's making it look like he's given up for now. For Hisoka, that liar and contrarian, to be so straightforward is... odd."
As Chrollo's explanation continued, Machi's expression gradually hardened. When she cross-referenced Chrollo's analysis, her own feelings, and Hisoka's personality, she arrived at an answer that was both unbelievable and, at the same time, perfectly in character for him.
"It's just as you said. Hisoka is not an idiot; he's terrifyingly sharp. For someone like that to have deceived you... it's better to be cautious."
Chrollo stood up slowly, his aura that of the leader of the Phantom Troupe.
"I won't act while there's no solid proof. But if he makes a move, we will respond in kind."
Their opponent was Hisoka, a man whom even Chrollo had to acknowledge as one of the strongest. No matter how they handled it, bloodshed would be unavoidable, but they would not let him escape.
"The moment his betrayal is confirmed, we will eliminate No. 4, Hisoka."
The head of the Spider had noticed a leg acting against its will. And because it noticed, it became blind.
It failed to see that the leg it trusted most was caught in a chain, and it failed to see the monster hiding behind the blinding light of Hisoka.
If the Spider had made one miscalculation, it was this: the clown was far more obsessed with muscle than it had ever imagined.
***
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